Just close your eyes, dear [J]

At length, the pair of wolves arrived in a fantastic, vast glade on the mountainside, which she would come to know simply as “the oasis”. The Alpha wasted no time in slaking his thirst, but his subordinate stood still for now, taking in the verdant beauty of the mountain's hidden heart. She would have time later to take care of necessities, she reckoned, and for now she would answer any questions Ferdie had.

And have them he did, but they weren't the personal sort that Viatrix had been expecting. They were strategic, and this made the DeMonte smile. “We must first see which side of the mountain gets more rain, and then den on the opposite side. We will be protected from heavy snow that way.” Although she scorned Naturalists and weather-watchers, Viatrix had learned enough on Red Rock to know that all mountains had a rain shadow, and the rain shadow was more protected in the winter. “Then it would be best to make our dens lower on the mountain, where the soil is easier to move, and so that we have advance warning of any danger. The ground would shake.” By which she meant in the event of avalanches and rock slides.

“But, yes, it would be wise to do it before the snows come,” she responded, flicking her left ear to ward off a bothersome mosquito. She herself didn't den during the summer, but in the winter, the slopes were too exposed to the elements for her tastes.